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Motorists Burn £1.9 Billion A Year By 'Auto Renewing' Their Car Insurance
13th May 2014
- 8.6 million drivers risk missing out on savings by sticking with their existing insurer when renewing
- 2.4 million motorists can't be bothered to shop around for cover
- Motorists could save up to £220 a year each by switching
UK motorists are wasting £1.9 billion each year by staying loyal to their existing car insurer. Not shopping around for a better deal at renewal time means drivers could be throwing away around £220 a year1, says MoneySuperMarket.com.
Britain's number one comparison site reveals 8.6 million drivers (23 per cent) automatically renew their car insurance with their existing provider.2 Of these, 13 per cent don't think they could save money by shopping around, and worryingly a further seven per cent (2.4 million motorists) 'automatically renew' because they can't be bothered to seek out a saving. Only four per cent of drivers renew automatically to ensure they comply with legislation on Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE).3
Many motorists assume shopping around for car insurance once is enough: one in five (18 per cent) admit they have only looked for a better deal once, as they didn't think they could make another saving the following year. London-based drivers are most likely to fall into this trap, with 31 per cent admitting they thought that way.
Kevin Pratt, car insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket, said: “It's a shame to see so many drivers blindly accept their insurance provider's renewal quote instead of taking action to save cash on their cover. Motorists don't even need to 'drive' a hard bargain. Average premium quotations are up to £220 less for those who shop around. It really pays to not just accept the renewal price quoted by your existing car insurer.”
Loyalty isn't rewarded
On average motorists remain faithful to the same insurer for two and a half (2.5) years, with the over 55s being the most loyal age group (averaging 3.2 years with the same insurer), compared to 1.9 years for drivers aged 18-34 and 2.1 years for those aged 35-54. Female drivers are more likely to switch insurer, averaging two years with the same one, compared to three years for male drivers. Regionally, London drivers are most likely to automatically renew their car insurance policies (39 per cent), and those living in the East Midlands are the savviest motorists, with only 15 per cent staying loyal to their existing insurer.
Kevin Pratt continued: “No matter where you live or what age you are, it's crucial to shop around at renewal time, as searching for a better deal doesn't cost you anything and there is a whole lot to gain. Even if your renewal is less than last year's price, in a market where the cost of insurance is falling there should be even cheaper deals to be so it's really worth checking if there is a better value policy out there to suit your individual needs. With a potential saving in the region of £200 it's surely worth five minutes of anybody's time?”
 Motor: '51% of consumers could save up to £ 220', Legal: Consumer Intelligence Feb 2014 or 'Consumers could save £220', Legal: 51% consumers, Consumer Intelligence Feb 2014
According to the ONS there are 50,371,000 adults (18+) in the United Kingdom in 2013. According to the research 74 per cent of UK adults (18+) drive some form of vehicle, therefore there are approximately 37,451,492 (37 million adult drivers in the United Kingdom).
23 per cent of respondents automatically renew their car insurance with their existing provider
23 per cent of 37,451,492 drivers = 8,596,249 drivers
8,596,249 x £220 = £1,891,174,671 drivers (1.9 billion)
7 per cent of motorists automatically renew with current provider and don't bother to shop around
7 per cent of 37,451,492 drivers = 2,438,117 drivers (2.4 million)
 Opinium Research carried out an online survey of 2,004 UK adults aged 18+ from 18th to 21st February 2014. Results have been weighted to nationally representative criteria.
 In a bid to protect motorists from uninsured drivers the Road Safety Act 2006 included Continuous Insurance Enforcement (CIE). This came into force during 2011 and means that anyone who is registered as an owner of a vehicle, which isn't registered as SORN (Statutory Off Road Notification), must have a valid car insurance for it or face a penalty.


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From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level : Nothing much
Mains level : Budget decision on public shareholding and its impact
The government’s budget decision to raise the minimum public shareholding in listed companies to 35% from 25% has worried the markets.
- The number of companies that would be affected by this proposal is quite large. As many as 1,100 listed companies currently have a promoter stake of more than 65% – reduction to the prescribed limit could entail as much as a trillion rupees worth of share sales.
- This may lead the promoters to rush through the sales at low prices since share prices are mostly in a slump.
- A slowdown in the economy and a pullout by foreign investors are also pressuring markets.
- Defer the implementation of the proposal to a day when the economy is in better shape
- Companies should be allowed a few years to comply so that fire sales are avoided. This way, promoters would get the best value for their shares. It will ensure markets face the least disruption.

domain: news


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The Federal Government has put retailers that overcharge customers for processing credit cards on notice. The ban on excessive fees could save customers up to $100 per year.
It has long since been highlighted that the cost of processing credit cards nominal, about 0.5 per cent of the purchase, however, airlines, retailers, energy companies, ticket agencies and telecom companies continue to charge fees of up to five per cent.
Reported in today’s News Limited publications, the move stems from ex Commonwealth Bank chief David Murray’s financial System Inquiry and will see retailers only able to charge 0.5 per cent, or 12 cents, whichever is less, to process a credit card payment.
It is understood that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will be given the powers to investigate and punish companies that flout the charges. Currently, it is up to card companies, Visa, MasterCard and American Express, to clamp down on retailers that overcharge.
Read more at Heraldsun.com.au
What’s the most you’ve ever been charged for processing a credit card? Do you think giving the ACCC the necessary powers will be an effective deterrent?


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Microsoft’s 25 year old logo has just been revamped. Gone is the traditional wavy Windows logo with italic font.
Taking its place is a Rubik’s Cube style square, made up of smaller squares, coloured with Microsoft signature green, blue, red, and yellow. As of now, the new logo will find its way across Microsoft’s sites, products, and TV ads.
Microsoft began using tiles throughout its line of products, such as Windows Phone and Windows 8 towards the end of last year. The clean design, once named as “Metro UI” by Microsoft, is now being referenced as their “Modern UI.”
The reason why
Jeff Hansen, the man in charge of brand strategy at Microsoft said, “This is an incredibly exciting year for Microsoft as we prepare to release new versions of nearly all of our products. From Windows 8 to Windows Phone 8 to Xbox services to the next version of Office, you will see a common look and feel across these products providing a familiar and seamless experience on PCs, phones, tablets and TVs.”
Sam Moreau, director of user experience for Microsoft wrote, “Now, the new logo actually provides a different slant on the Windows motif, which was offset to represent a slight tilt in perspective.” Meisner also said, “This wave of new releases is not only a reimagining of our most popular products, but also represents a new era for Microsoft, so our logo should evolve to visually accentuate this new beginning.”


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MCD is looking as good as the weather is hot today following extremely strong earnings that came in far above the street, and our, expectations. The crux of our negative thesis on MCD at the outset of 2011 was based around the difficulty I foresaw for MCD to “comp the comps” versus the company’s resounding success in driving same-restaurant sales in the U.S. during summer 2010. Following the release of April sales results, we “cried uncle” as the facts changed and sales continued to accelerate.
Having seen the June results, it is clear that MCD is “comping” the comps this summer and management was eager to point out that July global same-restaurant sales are expected to be between 4-5%. Below we offer ten takeaways and a quick recap of the sales trends by region and the markets/factors driving each.
Our ten takeaways from the quarter are as follows:
- MCD US is the most important division for the company from an operating income perspective and the acceleration of same-restaurant sales in June and, as guided to, in July versus extremely difficult compares from 2010 means that MCD is successfully driving traffic through its beverage initiative. Total McCafé beverage sales grew 29% y/y in the second quarter.
- On a global basis, higher commodity and, to a lesser extent, labor and occupancy costs are being offset by positive same-restaurant sales. In China, margins are being negatively impacted by the acceleration of new restaurant openings. New restaurants typically open with lower margins and then accelerate over time.
- MCD is taking share from other QSR companies. TAST’s report of their Burger King restaurants seeing same-restaurant sales decline -5.2% in 2Q is testament to that. Companies that fail to keep up with MCD reimaging and product initiatives are likely to continue to lose market share. The reimaging program in the US will be implemented at 600 restaurants in the US by year-end (200 done as of 1H11).
- The hot weather is driving people in the US to buy beverages. This is a positive for SBUX, SONC and other brands positioned to take advantage. Beverages are driving traffic and are margin-accretive.
- The full-year outlook for the company’s U.S. grocery basket is unchanged at 4%-4.5%. As food at home CPI continues to outstrip food away from home CPI, which gives the company some confidence in taking pricing in the current environment.
- Our pre-earnings assertion that top-line is all that matters this quarter seems to be correct. Companies have made their operations far more efficient than before the recession and, despite margins declining at company-operated stores in the US from 22.2% in 2Q10 to 20.7% in 2Q11, the health of the top line is what investors are focused on.
- China still only represents 3% of global MCD profit. MCD is growing rapidly in China, but the overall pie is growing also. This is not something YUM is seeing – YUM’s US business has already shrunk to 25% of the company’s total operating profit, previously a 2015 target.
- China 2Q comps were up 14.4%, the brand clearly has relevance and there seems to be enough room for MCD and YUM, which also produced double-digit comps in China during 2Q. For MCD, breakfast is approaching 8% of sales in China.
- The company is growing aggressively in APMEA, and China in particular with 175-200 openings in China projected for the year.
- Momentum is strong heading through 3Q with July global comps expected to come in at 4-5%.
Drivers: Frozen Strawberry Lemonade, classic core offerings including Chicken McNuggets and the Big Mac, and breakfast supported by the new Fruit & Maple Oatmeal.
Strong markets: France, UK, Russia.
Drivers: Ongoing restaurant modernization efforts, focus on premium menu offerings.
Strong markets: China and most other markets.
Drivers: Affordability, drive-thru, delivery and extended hours. Breakfast is offering a lot of growth in China and, despite the sluggish economic growth, Australia.


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Shoppers at an unmanned supermarket of JD in Beijing. (Photo by Wang Jing/China Daily)
Chinese e-commerce giant JD and U.S. tech giant Google Inc announced on Monday that Google will invest $550 million in cash in JD, as part of a strategic partnership.
The two companies plan to collaborate on a range of strategic initiatives, including the joint development of retail solutions in a number of regions around the world, including Southeast Asia, the United States and Europe.
Under the agreements, Google will receive more than 27 million newly issued JD Class-A ordinary shares at an issue price of $20.29 per share, equivalent to $40.58 per American depository share, based on the volume-weighted average trading price over the prior 10 trading days.
By applying JD's supply chain and logistics expertise and Google's technological strength, the partners aim to explore the creation of next-generation retail infrastructure solutions, with the goal of offering more helpful, personalized and frictionless shopping experiences.
Moreover, JD plans to make a selection of high-quality products available for sale through Google Shopping, a dedicated shopping search engine from Google in multiple regions.
"This partnership with Google opens up a broad range of possibilities to offer a superior retail experience to consumers throughout the world," said Liao Jianwen, chief strategy officer of JD.
"This marks an important step in the process of modernizing global retail. As we celebrate our June 18 anniversary sale, this partnership opens a new chapter in our history," Liao said.
The Chinese e-commerce company competes aggressively with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd in China's massive e-commerce market. Both companies are investing heavily in automated warehouse technology, retail and logistics to win over consumers.
"The cooperation is highly complementary, and Google could help JD expand its presence in overseas markets," said James Yan, research director at market research company Counterpoint, adding that Google also aspires to seek a strong partner in China, and JD offers great expertise in logistics and delivery services.
According to Google, the Asia-Pacific region is one of the largest and fastest-growing e-commerce marketplaces in the world, with consumers in Southeast Asia alone expected to spend $88.1 billion online by 2025.


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US-headquartered energy storage manufacturing startup KORE Power has said that its supply partner in China has resumed operations “and is presently working to meet KORE Power’s customer orders”.
The energy storage industry in the US is experiencing delays and could be staring in the face of potential job losses, according to a poll conducted by the national Energy Storage Association (ESA).
Dimitrios Pappas, analyst at new energy consultancy Delta-EE, considers the impact the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) could have on the energy transition, particularly for batteries used in EVs and ESS, while Energy-Storage.news editor Andy Colthorpe adds his own take.
Multinational chemicals company BASF has furthered its interest in the energy storage industry, partnering on the development of ‘metal-free’ flow battery electrolytes with German startup JenaBatteries.
An energy storage system made up of ‘second life’ batteries previously used in Renault’s electric vehicle (EV) has been deployed for Umicore, a multinational materials technology company headquartered in Belgium.
Canada-headquartered start-up Li-Cycle has claimed a victory in commercialising its lithium battery recycling processes, with a shipment sent to a customer just before the end of last year.
The 10 most popular blogs on Energy-Storage.news during 2019 offer a fairly strong indication of the overall topics leading industry thinking during the year - so without further ado, here they are:
Flow batteries have so far, failed to live up to the disruptive potential they promise, a new report says, but authors Alex Eller and William Tokash at Navigant Research have identified 12 leading vendors in the nascent field, based on metrics of strategy and execution.
Lead acid batteries are “the most recycled” consumer product used in the US today, according to National Recycling Rate Study, a new biennial report from the Battery Council International (BCI).
While recycling of lithium and other materials such as cobalt from batteries will greatly increase in the coming years, the potential availability of second life batteries should not be underestimated, according to new research and data.
Australia’s strong and ongoing potential for energy storage paired with solar PV has seen international and domestically-headquartered companies race to gain market share.
GE Renewable Energy, an arm of the US engineering giant, will supply 100MWh of battery energy storage systems (BESS) to three projects being developed by Convergent Energy + Power in California.
While lithium-ion enjoys the most media and customer interest at the moment, alternative technologies for storing energy could become competitive – if investors are willing to take them on to the extent that manufacturing efforts can be greatly scaled up.
Idaho-headquartered KORE Power claims it will have 6GWh annual production capacity for its lithium battery energy storage solutions, based on high-power nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) cells, up and running during the first quarter of next year.
Here's the extended audio version of our recent interview with Lior Handelsman, founder and VP for product and marketing strategy, talking for the first time in depth about the forthcoming launch of a battery system under the SolarEdge brand.
We talk about how solar and storage can be competitive with fossil fuels, how Solaredge is maintaining its own competitive advantage as well as some exclusive inside info on the company's forthcoming residential battery energy storage systems.
Lithium-ion batteries are far more widely recycled than many people think, while China and South Korea are already leaders of the emerging circular economy of lithium, a report commissioned by the Swedish Energy Agency has found.
Northvolt, the consortium seeking to establish significant lithium-ion battery cell manufacturing facilities in Europe, has raised US$1 billion in equity capital from parties including Volkswagen and BMW and the merchant banking division of Goldman Sachs.
BASF is using NGK Insulators’ sodium sulfur batteries as its entry point into the energy market, with the German chemical company signing up as a sales partner to the Japanese manufacturer.
Canada’s Li-Cycle says 100% recycling commercially achievable for Li-ion batteries, including cobalt
Energy-Storage.news spoke with Li-Cycle, which claims it can achieve a recycling rate of 80% to 100% of materials in lithium-ion batteries.
As it prepares to break ground on a ‘Gigafactory’, energy storage system provider Tesvolt has said that gaining certification across diverse regions remains the biggest challenge in forming strategy today.
The race to build Europe’s first lithium-ion energy storage system ‘Gigafactory’ could be won by Tesvolt, as the German manufacturer announced a “multimillion-euro investment” in production lines this week.
Over the next five years, a US$50 million pot will be invested to promote a sustainable supply chain for lithium, graphite and the other minerals and metals
With Brexit day less than a month away and still no certainty around what the final deal will look like, the time is now for the energy storage sector to prepare for every eventuality so it can play to its increasing strengths, writes Stephen Irish, co-founder of Hyperdrive Innovation.
Tesla will acquire Maxwell Technologies, it was announced this week, although it is not clear yet which of Maxwell’s product lines, including ultracapacitors, are of most interest to the Silicon Valley automaker and new energy company.
LG Chem, IBM and Ford Motor Company have joined an effort to increase the transparency of supply chains for cobalt used in batteries - referred to by some as the ‘Blood Diamond’ of the energy and tech sectors.
Automotive giant Toyota and electronics firm Panasonic have announced a joint venture which will look to lead the field in EV battery technology.
Acquisition feeds into the inverter and smart energy company’s overall ‘masterplan’ to involve itself in the full gamut of distributed and clean energy market segments.
Ben Hill is widely known in the solar and energy storage industries as the former Trina Solar executive who drove the Chinese company towards a leading position in the European market in the days of the large-scale boom before leaving to become Tesla’s VP for Europe, Africa and the Middle East. UK start-up Solo Energy is among a number of companies he is now working with closely as an advisor.
CATL, a major Chinese manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries, has just opened its first sales and service centre in North America.


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Lest we forget, auction houses are more than the art housed within. Today, Sotheby’s New York announced a major expansion and redesign of its exhibition galleries, adding 23,000 square feet to its 10-story glass building on the Upper East Side.
Led by Shohei Shigematsu, a partner who runs the New York offices of the Rem Koolhaas–founded firm OMA, the expansion has been quietly under way for the past 10 months. The new galleries will officially open on May 3, ahead of Sotheby’s big-ticket auctions of Impressionist and modern art that month.
OMA’s design for the auction house increases the exhibition space from 67,000 to more than 90,000 square feet, adding 40 galleries of diverse sizes that live across four renovated floors. Three double-height spaces with ceilings over 20 feet high can accommodate monumental sculptures and oversize paintings. Two new flexible auction spaces increase the versatility of the floors. And nine galleries were created expressly for private sale opportunities.
Hot off the heels of the Annabelle Selldorf–led Christie’s expansion a couple miles downtown and the announcement of Phillips’s upcoming move to a larger space at 432 Park, it’s clear that the New York auction houses are upping the ante. Sotheby’s reimagined lobby includes a Sant Ambroeus coffee bar and digital signage designed by 2x4, which will join the existing Sotheby’s wine store.
“Our ambition was to completely reimagine the client experience in our building—from arrival into our lobby and the path taken to view an exhibition and participate in an auction, through to collecting new purchases,” Tad Smith, CEO of Sotheby’s, said in a statement.
One intent of the renovation was to enhance the way Sotheby’s engages with the public. “The new headquarters is designed for openness and discovery,” Shigematsu said in a statement, adding that “all public-facing programs are shifted to lower levels, unlocking the public potential of the building.”
More from AD PRO: Has Instagram Made Design Shows Better?


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Revenues for Neiman Marcus Inc. for the five weeks ended Oct. 4 were $415 million, an 11% decrease from the $466 million reported for the year-ago period. Same store sales for the retailer dropped 12.9% from $466 million in the year-ago period to $406 million.
Comparable revenues at Neiman Marcus Direct in the five-week September period increased 5.3%. The top selling merchandise categories in the direct marketing segment included womens shoes and apparel and mens.
“September was a challenging month for us given the countrys financial crisis, the impact of Hurricane Ike, as well as, difficult comparisons with last years 100th anniversary events,” said Burt Tansky, Chairman and CEO of the company.
“Based on our September performance and the current economic environment, we expect customer demand will remain weak for an extended period of time. As a result, we currently anticipate that our fall season gross margin will decline on a year over year basis and that inventory levels will be higher than planned. Our entire team is focused on stimulating sales, lowering inventory levels, reducing expenses and evaluating all capital projects.”


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Steve Jobs initially hoped to create his own network with the unlicensed spectrum that Wi-Fi uses rather than work with the mobile operators, said wireless industry legend John Stanton.
AT&T's assertions that its planned acquisition of T-Mobile USA will create up to 96,000 new U.S. jobs are "completely unfounded" and contrary to past evidence of similar mergers, one economist said Tuesday.
A judge in the U.S. on Wednesday allowed parts of C Spire Wireless and Sprint Nextel's lawsuits against AT&T's proposed US$39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile USA.
It's clear that companies are increasingly using social networking to connect with customers--Facebook said brands on its site get 100 million "likes" per day--but it's also clear that they are having varying degrees of success.
Major U.S. mobile carriers will begin offering free usage alerts to customers in an effort to help them avoid surprise charges on their bills, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission and a mobile trade group announced Monday.
T-Mobile USA unveiled the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 to U.S. buyers on Monday, just days ahead of a court hearing at which Apple will seek a preliminary injunction to prevent sales of the device in the U.S.
The first two smartphones to run on T-Mobile's fast HSPA+42 network are coming soon, the operator announced Monday.
A U.S. district court judge has scheduled a trial to begin on Feb. 13 in the U.S. Department of Justice's lawsuit opposing AT&T's proposed acquisition of rival mobile carrier T-Mobile USA.
Seven state attorneys general have joined a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit attempting to block AT&T's US$39 billion acquisition of rival mobile carrier T-Mobile USA.
The U.S. Department of Justice would "severely set back growth and competition" in the U.S. mobile telecom market if its efforts to block the acquisition of T-Mobile USA by AT&T are successful, AT&T said in court documents filed Friday.
The U.S. Department of Justice's lawsuit opposing AT&T's proposed acquisition of T-Mobile USA may not mean the end of the deal, according to some experts.
Several consumer and digital rights groups applauded the U.S. Department of Justice's opposition to AT&T's proposed acquisition of rival mobile carrier T-Mobile USA, with critics of the deal saying it would have hurt consumers.
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit to block AT&T from acquiring mobile competitor T-Mobile USA, with the agency saying the US$39 billion deal would significantly reduce competition, jack up prices and stifle innovation.
AT&T will return 5,000 outsourced call-center jobs to the U.S. if regulators approve its proposed US$39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile USA, the company said Wednesday.
Expanding mobile broadband services in the U.S. in the coming years would produce thousands of new jobs and help reverse today's downward employment trend, a group of economic development and business officials said Wednesday.
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- CCTechnical Digital Producer / Requirements EngineerNSW


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itel mobile recently during their 10th year anniversary launched three device. Among them is the itel S12, itel S32 and itel S32 LTE with the common denominator being dual selfie cameras and fingerprint sensor. The company through marketing communication director targets students and all customers because the phones are affordable.
The handset is bigger in screen size as compared to itel S12 with 5.5-inch HD display screen. The handset offers a screen resolution of 720*1280 pixels.
It runs on Android 7.0 Nougat among the first itel phones to offer the OS out of box. The processor is the same octa core at 1.3GHz. The RAM is much smaller at just 1GB and much more.
Itel S32 Key Specifications
This is the other smartphone that itel mobile just launched alongside the itel S12 during the 10th year anniversary celebration. Below are the itel S32 specifications.
- Display size: 5.5 inch HD
- Type: IPS LCD
- resolution: 720*1280 pixels
- 4G: No
- Dual SIM: Yes
- OS: Android 7.1 Nougat
- Processor: 1.3GHz octa core
- RAM: 1GB
- ROM: 16GB
- Front camera: Dual cameras 5MP
- Back camera: 8MP
- Fingerprint sensor: Yes
- battery: 3000mAh
It is certainly true that am beginning to love what itel mobile is doing. I am appreciating their efforts in making affordable and good phones like these.
Itel s32 promises a 5.5 inch HD touchscreen. The phone offers a screen resolution of 720*1280 pixels. This offers clearer and bolder images with customized brightness.
Platform and Storage
It is nice seeing Android 7.0 Nougat on itel S32. It ups the morale and ups their game a little. Itel S32 comes equipped with 1.3Ghz octa core processor.
It sports 1GB RAM and an internal storage of 16GB. With that you also have an SD card slot of expandable storage.
Itel Mobile has three phones launched at the sametime that offer dual selfie cameras. Itel S32 comes with dual front cameras with 5MP sensor.
The back facing camera is single with 8MP sensor and LED flash.
The battery is getting good each day. The device is hosting a 3000mAh.


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Early titles on the Universal Windows Platform have been rendered hard to play because of low framerates, thanks to a mandatory feature that locks the framerate, but Microsoft says it is listening to user feedback and is fixing the issue.
Microsoft has made plenty of decisions that have alienated users in the past, but more recently the company has displayed a willingness to make amends and change things that customers do not like.
Indeed, this was one of the things the company was eager to focus on at the Game Developers Conference last week, saying “we’re listening to feedback”.
That listening also includes taking heat for a controversial party, but in terms of hardware and software Microsoft is making good on its mantra.
While the Universal Windows Platform has been widely praised, there are things users would change and Microsoft said it is fixing one of them, namely a framerate lock that hinders UWP gaming.
The gripe in question involves a “feature” that locks the framerate on a title to the preset refresh rate of a monitor screen, with users unable to turn the lock off. Some of the first titles in the UWP project have started landing on Windows 10 and users are getting frustrated by the framerate lock which caps games like Gears of War: Ultimate Edition to 30 frames-per-second.
Needless to say, that lowly framerate causes problem for a game that has a lot of moving action and fluid motion, leaving a stuttering experience. Some gamers have already criticized UWP as a ploy for Microsoft to remove choice from the market, so the lack of an off function for the framerate lock is adding fuel to the fire, rightly or wrongly.
A Fix is Coming
Microsoft understands fears and is working quickly to make sure gamers feel at ease by UWP, which the company actually says frees up the gaming space by making everything easier and more accessible. At GDC last week, Xbox Product Manager, Jason Ronald, confirmed that the company was aware of consumer worries and that a fix for the framerate lock is inbound.
“Some of the early feedback we’ve gotten from the first wave of UWP-enabled games is that people don’t like that v-sync is locked to the refresh rate of the monitor or that there’s a lack of support for Gsync and Freesync options that intelligently output rendered images onto a monitor at the same rate as that graphics card.
We’ve taken that feedback, and we’re actively working on fixes that we’re testing with some of our first-party studios. We’ll be shipping these later this year.
We’re listening to feedback. We say that all the time to the public and the gamer audience, but it’s true of developers as well. Feedback from developers and gamers is critical to our success. It directly affects our priorities and our roadmap.”


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GeekTech is really saddened with the loss of a great visionary in this modern digital world, a role model to us, a man with ideas will be missed by all. Steve has given more to this world than most people could imagine in both subtle and overt ways. Thank you, Steve, for having lived, and having left a legacy of excellence. we have lost one of the greatest technological innovators of our time.
Apple.com in memory of Steve Jobs now displays a full-page tribute to the man that helped reinvent computing, entertainment and mobile:
“Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.”
BARACK OBAMA, US PRESIDENT
US President Barack Obama joined an outpouring of tributes to Steve Jobs, calling the Apple co-founder a visionary and great American innovator.
“Steve was among the greatest of American innovators – brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it,” Obama said of Jobs, who died on Wednesday.
The US President was joined by political, technology, entertainment and business leaders around the world in paying tribute to Jobs. A selection:
BILL GATES, MICROSOFT CO-FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN
“Steve and I first met nearly 30 years ago, and have been colleagues, competitors and friends over the course of more than half our lives. The world rarely sees someone who has had the profound impact Steve has had, the effects of which will be felt for many generations to come. For those of us lucky enough to get to work with him, it’s been an insanely great honor.”
MARK ZUCKERBERG, FACEBOOK FOUNDER AND CEO, ON FACEBOOK
“Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend. Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world. I will miss you.
BOB IGER, CEO OF WALT DISNEY CO
“Steve Jobs was a great friend as well as a trusted adviser. His legacy will extend far beyond the products he created or the businesses he built. It will be the millions of people he inspired, the lives he changed, and the culture he defined. Steve was such an ‘original,’ with a thoroughly creative, imaginative mind that defined an era. Despite all he accomplished, it feels like he was just getting started.”
Steve Jobs an Inspiring all in his speech


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Digital advertising company AdSpark has established partnerships with video analytics firm Wootag and social intelligence platform Tracx, the company announced in a press conference on June 22.
AdSpark, a subsidiary of telecommunications firm Globe Telecom, provides mobile and other digital marketing solutions to help businesses reach and sell to Filipino consumers. Since it was established in 2015, it has served clients such as Ayala Malls, Sun Life Financial and BDO Unibank.
“We look for partners that are ahead of their game,” said Glenn Estrella, president and CEO of AdSpark. “We try not to limit ourselves to partners that make us relevant today, but those that bring us further.”
Wootag enables interactivity within videos, allowing viewers interested in products to purchase them within the video itself. “Videos are not just meant for human eyes – it can drive human touch,” said Raj Sunder, Wootag’s founder and CEO.
Through its platform and analytics, the Singapore-based company aims to convert viewers of a business’ videos into customers by going beyond views, likes and comments. In the Philippines alone, videos using Wootag’s technology have been watched by over one million unique Filipino Internet users.
Globe president and CEO Ernest Cu sees AdSpark as one of the telecoms company's most important adjacency businesses
Tracx is a social intelligence platform based in the US that allows businesses to track their reputations in various social media websites. According to Ross Williams, managing director for its Asia Pacific operations, what differentiates Tracx from other social listening tools is its capacity to follow conversations beyond business name mentions so that its clients can get the complete picture.
As well, Williams highlighted the importance of businesses listening to all platforms and not just Facebook and Twitter. “Demographics and behavioral tendencies vary widely across [social] networks,” he explained. “So we let our clients listen to everything.”
These two partnerships further expand AdSpark’s reach in the growing market of digital advertising in the country. And Estrella is optimistic of the industry’s growth potential—he revealed that AdSpark’s projected revenue for 2017 is around Php600 million.
Ernest Cu, president and CEO of parent company Globe, sees AdSpark as one of Globe’s important adjacency businesses. “AdSpark seeks to leverage the distribution, information and immense reach of Globe in the Philippines,” said Cu, likening it to Mynt, the company’s financial services venture.
“AdSpark’s vision is to one day be an advertising powerhouse in the Philippines,” added Cu.
Lorenzo Kyle Subido is a staff writer of Entrepreneur PH


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ASHEVILLE: Electronic instrument manufacturers Moog and Korg have offered their synthesiser apps for iOS and Android devices for free at a time when social distancing and self-isolation are encouraged.
“Schools, workplaces, and meetings worldwide have been requested to close by their respective governments and so many people are studying and working from home.
“To help you with a musical way to occupy your mind, we have decided to make the Kaossilator app for iOS and Android free of charge for a limited time,” Korg wrote in its announcement post.
The Kaossilator app reproduces the features of the portable touch-based Kaossilator, offering 150 built-in sounds to produce a broad range of dance music styles such as EDM, hip-hop, house, techno and electro.
The Android version of Kaossilator is free through Friday, March 20, while the iOS app is available completely free of charge through the end of March.
Moog followed suit a few hours later, describing the free release of its Minimoog Model D Synthesizer iOS app as “a gift to spread positivity, creativity, and expressivity.”
“A moment to slow down, appreciate our innate strength, & experience the uplifting power of sound … Stay open, stay safe, and #synthesizelove,” the company added on Twitter.
The Minimoog Model D app notably emulates the original sound and features of the company’s portable synthesiser.
Musicians can also enjoy a bank of over 160 presets, a polyphonic playing mode, a powerful arpeggiator and a handy stereo delay effect, among other features.
The free releases of the Kaossilator and Minimoog Model D Synthesizer apps arrive at a time when musicians, songwriters and producers are facing the detrimental impact of the global Covid-19 pandemic.
While industry experts are projecting that the live concert business could lose billions, artistes are increasingly live-streaming their concerts in an effort to entertain their fans cooped up at home.
British rising star Yungblud will live stream a concert this Monday, March 16 at 7.00 am (PDT) via his YouTube channel, with guest appearances from Bella Thorne, Machine Gun Kelly and Oliver Tree.
“This is a time for our fookin hearts to be together because we are gonna beat this sh– TOGETHER. spread the world tell ya fookin mates,” he told his fans on Twitter.
Earlier this week, superstar Lizzo also held a 30-minute meditation session via Instagram Live to help fans deal with fear and anxiety amidst the Covid-19 outbreak.
“A lot of people are sad right now because a lot of their favourite artists can’t play shows, or somebody they know is sick, or they might be sick, or we might be afraid of what this means for life as we know it. And I wanted to take the time today to just do a mass meditation,” she explained, also leading fans through deep breathing exercises and telling them about the necessary safety precautions.


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easySim.global, part of the easy® family of companies, has launched a new data roaming service for over 150 countries worldwide, offering users huge savings when using their smartphones abroad.
Whether you are travelling for business or pleasure, the cost of using your mobile overseas can be shocking. Most of the UK mobile networks such as EE, Sky, Three and Vodafone no longer allow their users to “roam like at home” in the EU, and data charges in the rest of the world are almost always outside your standard mobile bundle.
The answer to extortionately high data costs abroad is a prepaid eSIM from easySim.global, the new international roaming service from the easy family of brands. easySim.global provides travellers with reliable internet for smartphones and tablets around the globe, meaning you stay connected using your favourite apps at low fixed prices.


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Good news for Take-Two as Duke Nukem Forever turns a profit
Take-Two has enjoyed a pretty positive start this year with even the much-maligned Duke Nukem Forever turning a profit.
The parent of Rockstar and 2K announced a very promising results based on Duke Nukem Forever making money and LA Noire selling 4 million copies worldwide.
Their financials were also helped by NBA 2K11 shifting 5.5 million copies and Red Dead Redemption breaking the 11 million sales barrier.
CEO Strauss Zelnick promised good things coming, hinting at some unannounced big games as well: "Looking ahead to fiscal year 2013, we have already announced three exciting new releases: BioShock Infinite, Spec Ops: The Line, and Borderlands 2, and we have a very strong pipeline of yet-to-be announced titles in development."
- Microsoft announces the feature list for the November Xbox One update
- EA Sports patches in some more missing features for the next-gen versions of NHL 15
- Blizzard begins rolling out a new patch for Starcraft II
- Far Cry 4 Season Pass details announced
- Shinji Mikami: I never use women as objects in my games
- Microsoft releases the first trailer for Halo: Nightfall TV series, first episode to premiere at Halo Fanfest
- Silence – The Whispered World 2 announced for Xbox One
- Titanfall to get its very own Horde mode called Frontier Defense
- John Riccitiello joins Unity as their new CEO


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THE Zimbabwe Commercial Rabbit Breeders Association (ZICORBA) has implored local cuniculture producers to increase their production to take advantage of an anticipated spike in global consumption of rabbit meat.
ZICORBA president Regis Nyamakanga said the global meat market was expected to surge from 1,5 million tonnes to 1,8 million tonnes over the next three years.
Nyamakanga was reacting to a recent report by market research firm IndexBox which showed that market volume for rabbit meat globally is expected to expand by 2,3 percent compound annual growth rate to reach 1,8 million tonnes by the end of 2025.
“The anticipated growth in global demand for rabbit meat presents boundless opportunities for local rabbit producers to ramp up their production and take advantage of the expanding market for rabbit meat globally,” the ZICORBA chief said.
Research IndexBox, a leading global research entity, says in its latest report that China would retain its position as the biggest consumer of rabbit meat globally, followed by North Korea and Egypt.
“China was the main market for rabbit meat in the last couple of years, accounting for 62 percent (925,000 tonnes) of the world’s total consumption (1,5 million tonnes), followed by North Korea (154 000 tonnes) and Egypt (57 000 tonnes),” says the research firm.
Driven by increasing demand for rabbit meat worldwide, the market is expected to continue an upward consumption trend over the next six years, according to market research firm IndexBox.
Market performance is forecast to retain its current trend pattern, expanding with an anticipated compound annual growth rate of more than 2,3 percent until 2025, bringing the market volume to 1,8 million tonnes.
In terms of production, China leads the top (932 000 tonnes), accounting for 63 percent of the world’ rabbit meat production. North Korea ranks second (154 000 tonnes), while
Spain came third with a production of 57 000 tonnes and a 3,9 percent market share.
IndexBox analysis shows that the global rabbit meat production is likely to see steady growth in the near future.
Nyamakanga said that Zimbabwe was aiming to be among the top three rabbit producing nations in Africa over the next three years.


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Prof. Mike Obadan, an Economist has urged the Federal Government to intensify the implementation of its various intervention measures to get the economy out of recession.
Obadan, a Non-Executive Director of the CBN, made the suggestion when he spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Friday.
He said there were strong indications that the economy would get out of recession this quarter or by the first quarter of 2021, if the government intensified its economic recovery strategies.
“The Federal Government’s response to boost economic growth is through the implementation of the N2.3 trillion Economic Sustainability Plan (ESP).
“The ESP has many projects aimed at stimulating economic growth in the various sectors of the economy.
“When government spending as earmarked in the ESP, most economic activities will be revived.
“Also, the government needs to intensify the implementation of the various fiscal and monetary measures that resulted in improved economic growth in the third quarter of 2020 when compared to the second quarter of the year.
“About 13 sectors of the economy out of 46 sectors only had positive growth rates in the 2nd quarter of the year, while all the other sectors experienced contractions.
“In the third quarter of the year, however, 18 sectors of the economy recorded positive growth rates and the 33 sectors which experienced contractions in the second quarter of the year recorded less contractions in the third quarter.
“This means that there is a significant improvement in the activities of the sectors that recorded negative growth rates; it means that production improved and workers are being employed.
“If activities continue to grow at the pace with which they were implemented, definitely by December or by the end of the first quarter of 2021, most economic activities are likely to be growing in the positive zone,’’ he said.
He added that government should continue to encourage citizens to adhere to the COVID-19 protocol to prevent a second lockdown, which he noted would be disastrous to the economy. (NAN)


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Southampton ranked as ninth most ambitious city in UK
Friday June 18th, 2021
Southampton has been ranked as the ninth most ambitious city in the UK.
Recent data shows that 64% of the UK workforce have ambitions to become an entrepreneur. And, even amidst the chaos of the coronavirus pandemic, it looks as though some of these ambitions were made a reality. Last year, in the UK alone, there were almost 800,000 new business registrations – an increase from both 2018 and 2019.
Card machine provider Dojo has created a nationwide index of the most business ambitious cities.
To create the list, the company looked at the percentage business growth comparing new and closed businesses, business growth over last five years, business five-year survival rate, the number of businesses with more than 10 employees and online searches of how to start a business.
After comparing the data, Southampton was revealed as the ninth most ambitious city in the list, with a population of over 255 thousand and an “ambition score” of 161 out of 250.


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Tuesday, March 15, 2005, 11:00 am PT (02:00 pm ET)
Apple\'s iPod chief pockets over $26M from optionsApple Computer disclosed Tuesday that three of its top executives took home more than US$49.9 million in profit from exercising 6.4 million stock options in 2004, writes TMO's Brad Gibson. In its Archives/edgar/data/320193/000104746905006387/a2153157zdef14a.htm">annual proxy statement filed with the SEC, Apple said Jonathan Rubinstein, senior vice president of its iPod division, collected $26.3 million in value from exercising 3 million stock options last year. Timothy D. Cook, the company's vp of worldwide sales and operations, reaped nearly $14.2 million in value from exercising 2.7 million stock options. And Avadis Tevanian, Jr., senior vice president and chief software technology officer, took home more than $8.8 million in stock option profit from excercising 700,000 stock options. Meanwhile, Steve Jobs received a salary of $1 in 2004, according to the filing. No other compensation for Jobs was listed. In the filing, Apple states that its annual shareholders meeting will take place at 10:00 a.m. PST, on April 21 in Cupertino, Calif. Some additional details are available in the TMO report.
On Topic: General
- Apple's Maps Connect portal lets local businesses create, add details to listings
- Apple leadership awarded restricted stock unit bonus currently worth $19M
- Apple spent $1M on lobbying US government in Q3, focused on health, data privacy, more
- GT Advanced reaches bankruptcy deal with Apple, will sell off more than 2,000 sapphire furnaces to pay debt
- Hackers targeting Apple iCloud users in mainland China with 'massive' attack


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Home > News > Jamie Chung
Celebrities Spotted Out and About—Week of September 27
- Diddy relaxing in his VIP cabana at Los Angeles Confidential magazine's pre-Emmy party at Mr. C Beverly Hills.
- Reality star and fashion designer, Whitney Port, having a girls night out with her sister and friends at The Sea Fire Grill.
- Halle Berry shows off her baby bump while shopping with husband Olivier Martinez and adorable daughter Nahla at The Grove.
- Talib Kweli, rapper, surprised the crowd at The Royal with a performance of his hit " Get By " and others during halftime of the Jets / Bills game Sunday along to music by DJ Shaun Pazel. With only one day in town, Kris Humphries also decided to pop in to the bar for a drink and the game.
- Ben Affleck and a friend ordered burgers and a very pricey bottle of red at NYC hot spot Landmarc in the Time Warner Center.
- Music legend Lionel Richie was enjoying a night on the town at Beauty and Essex in New York City on Friday. The All Night Long singer was looking dapper in a tan suit and shades.
- Heidi Klum looks effortlessly cool while hand-in-hand with her family this weekend at The Grove.
- Lifetime’s Devious Maids, Dania Ramirez, celebrated her twin babies on-the-way with a whimsical baby shower at new hotspot Pearl's in West Hollywood as she announced to her closest friends and family that she will be having a boy and a girl.
- Charlize Theron and her son Jackson spotted out and about. Jackson was wearing sporting a special ordered Popout Clothing Varsity Jacket.
- Katie Holmes celebrates Hellmann’s 100th birthday with its signature chocolate mayonnaise cake at an event benefiting Feeding America in NYC.
- Brad Goreski browses the new fall glasses styles on the Glasses.com app for iPad.
- Lala Anthony strikes a pose at a Glade Event in New York City.
- Lionel Richie having dinner with friends and crew at Antica Pesa in Williamsburg after his concert at Barclays Center on Tuesday night.
- Bryan Greenberg seen smoking South Beach Smoke electronic cigarettes while with his girlfriend, Jamie Chung at Santa Monica Pier.
- Julianne Hough and Derek Hough having a late night drink at Pearl's in West Hollywood.
- John Stamos was all smiles when he was dropped off in a Kia Motors vehicle at The Malibu Inn in Malibu.
- Booboo Stewart, Cindy Vela and Susie Hillard staying energized their 14th hour on set of It's Gawd taking a spin on the FlyWheel bikes making their movie debut.
- Jason Segel seems to have moved on from rumored girlfriend Bojana Novakovic. The star of the upcoming new film Sex Tape was spotted at the Meatpacking District's pop-up restaurant Malt n Mash on Saturday night with a mystery brunette.
- This past Monday, The Weeknd celebrated their new album release, Kiss Land at AV Nightclub in Hollywood. The Weeknd showed up in his classic look with an entourage ready to let loose and celebrate.
- Anna Trebunskaya spotted in a Liz Lange Maternity for Target dress while out shopping in West Hollywood.
- Things seem to be getting serious for Tara Reid and musician boyfriend Erez Eisen as they were seen out at Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza & Grill this past weekend dining with Eisen’s two kids.
- Karina Smirnoff going to DWTS rehearsal rocking a Lotus sports bra by Breeze Comfort.
- Audrina Patridge has added a pop of pink color to her outfit with these Nine West peep toe pumps from this year's QVC FFANY Shoes on Sale! Tune in to QVC on Thursday, October 10th from 6pm-9pm EST to get this look and over 80 other brands for half the manufacturer's suggested retail price to help in the fight against breast cancer!
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The Real Housewives of Vancouver get a promotional push
Shaw Media-owned Slice is giving the ladies its largest multi-platform marketing campaign to date.
The red carpet for The Real Housewives of Vancouver is set to roll out on Slice next Wednesday, April 4 at 9 p.m. (settling into the 10 p.m. timeslot the following week), along with what the channel says is its largest single series marketing campaign yet.
The five-week campaign will bow the same day as the series premiere with glam creative that has the housewives juxtaposed against the Vancouver skyline on a red carpet with copy that reads, “The international sensation is here!” in Toronto and “Our housewives have arrived!” in Vancouver.
From OOH boards in the Toronto Eaton Centre, Winners stores, women’s only fitness clubs, salons and grocery stores, to full-page ads in print titles such as Chatelaine, Style at Home, Hello! Canada and daily newspapers in Toronto and Vancouver, the campaign looks to target women aged 25 to 54.
In addition, there will be ads placed on female-focused sites such as Glam.com, TMZ.com, People.com and Perezhilton.com as well as ads airing on top radio stations with the inclusion of a promo spot during Perez Hilton’s Virgin Radio segment in Vancouver. TV spots will also run across Shaw Media channels prior to the series launch as well as on targeted US cable avails.
Slice has recently experimented in the digital and social media space to create buzz for the reality show, with the Shaw-media owned channel having revealed the new housewives in a video on its YouTube page. According to a release, the teaser video received over 120,000 hits in the first 48 hours of being posted.
The digital efforts will continue with the channel releasing additional videos with behind-the-scenes clips of the housewives throughout the season.
All creative and media placement was handled in-house by the Shaw Media marketing team, in partnership with digital artist Brett Simons.


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One in five U.S. broadband households intends to purchase a new flat-panel TV before the end of 2011, making it the most popular CE product this holiday season, according to new consumer research from Parks Associates. Among households intending to purchase a flat-panel TV, 73% plan to select a set with advanced features such as 3D capabilities or built-in Internet connectivity, but the demand for smart TVs (sets that connect to the Internet) is nearly twice the demand for 3D TVs. "Smart TVs are now pushing into the mainstream, whereas previously smart-TV buyers were largely early adopters and those from high-income households," said Kurt Scherf, VP, principal analyst, Parks Associates. "The combination of a maturing product ecosystem with great holiday deals is putting smart TVs within the reach of the American middle class."
LG Electronics (LG) said Thursday it has entered a strategic alliance with Intel to use the chip-makers' wireless digital video over Wi-Fi (called WiDi) technology in next year's Cinema 3D Smart TVs. The agreement makes LG's TVs the first to feature the WiDi system, LG said. WiDi was developed by Intel to stream video content from an Intel-based laptop, notebook or other external mobile device to a TV, projector or display monitor. Currently, the system requires a receiver box or dongle be connected to a TV's video input, but the agreement would enable the system to be built into LG's Cinema 3D sets. The WiDi system uses point-to-point connectivity and features a wireless interface for instant viewing of content on the wirelessly connected display. "Through this strategic alliance, Cinema3D Smart TV users will be able to access a wider variety of content in a more convenient manner," said Seog-ho Ro, LG Home Entertainment TV Business Unit senior VP. "Intel WiDi will be one of several features that will enhance the user convenience of our Cinema 3D Smart TVs, further differentiating our products from the competition."
The Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) has released findings from the new CEDIA market research report, Size and Scope of the Residential Electronic Systems Market in the US in 2011©. Findings indicate that the industry is optimistic about the future. The report features data on the characteristics of companies working within the residential electronics systems industry in the U.S. The report is an expansion of CEDIA’s research offerings, which are designed to provide CEDIA members and other key stakeholders with market data that will enable them to make better business decisions and identify new opportunities. CEDIA’s Size and Scope of the Residential Electronic Systems Market in the US in 2011© report offers details on the state of the industry as well as current opportunities and threats. The findings of the study indicate that there are 20,000 to 22,500 companies in the US that are installing CEDIA portfolio products in residential environments.
Consumers are returning lots of electronics products, and it's costing the U.S. consumer electronics industry a bundle, says a study by Accenture. According to the management consulting firm, product returns cost U.S. consumer electronics retailers and manufacturers nearly $17 billion this year, an increase of 21% since 2007. Included in the $17 billion are costs associated with "receiving, assessing, repairing, reboxing, restocking and reselling returned products," Accenture reports. Product return rates over the past three to five years have increased for 57% of the retailers and 43% of the manufacturers surveyed by Accenture. If there's any positive news for the industry, it's that just 5% of returns are related to actual product defects, Accenture says. Indeed, 27% of returns reflect "buyer's remorse" and 68% of returns are characterized as "No Trouble Found." Accenture calculates that just a 1% reduction in the number of "No Trouble Found" cases could save a typical large manufacturer about $21 million in return and repair costs or $16 million for an average consumer electronics retailer.
DMX, Inc. and its digital signage partner, 11Giraffes, were selected by Bass Pro Shops to launch its new digital signage program throughout the United States and Canada. Offered under the DMX®MARQUEE brand, Bass Pro Shops is now displaying multiple screens per store in the Fishing, Hunting and Marine departments. "We are excited to announce that Bass Pro Shops, the nation's leading retailer of outdoor gear, has selected our DMX®MARQUEE product to provide customers with a digital signage experience. DMX®MARQUEE, along with the current music and messaging services DMX provides to Bass Pro Shops, gives their customers a superior branded experience. Our partnership with 11Giraffes, which launched in January of this year, has been a truly exceptional example of our two companies bringing an excellent product to the marketplace," said John Cullen, CEO of DMX. Bass Pro Shops, known as The World\'s Greatest Outdoor Store, serves millions of people each year who pass through their doors seeking to satisfy their outdoor passions. The DMX®MARQUEE digital signage product will provide Bass Pro Shops with an outstanding tool with the flexibility for control at both the corporate and local levels - promoting their highly regarded brand, unsurpassed product line, and providing their customers with the information and knowledge they seek.
Researchers have developed a new form of light-emitting crystals, known as quantum dots, which can be used to produce ultra-thin televisions. The tiny crystals, which are 100,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair, can be printed onto flexible plastic sheets to produce a paper-thin display that can be easily carried around, or even onto wallpaper to create giant room-size screens. The scientists hope the first quantum dot televisions - like current flat-screen TVs, but with improved colour and thinner displays - will be available in shops by the end of next year. A flexible version is expected to take at least three years to reach the market.
By the end of this year, the streaming set-top box market will reach about 12 million units worldwide, according to a survey published Monday. And the company known mainly for phones, tablets and computers is set to own a third of that, according to Strategy Analytics. It says Apple's small $99 streaming Apple TV is on pace to hit 4 million units by the end of this year. For perspective, four million devices is what the iPhone 4S sold in a weekend. But Apple's somehow managed to reach this number in Apple TV without really trying. And by "trying" I mean doing things like running TV and billboard advertisements or making it the centerpiece of press events. Apple has for years since its introduction excused Apple TV as merely "a hobby." And while it's played with the concept and design and the price, doesn't talk much about it or how many it's sold. Breaking with tradition, Steve Jobs did say in October 2010 that after a month on sale, the new $99 Apple TV had sold 250,00 units.
Panasonic announced the availability of the LF30 Series of Professional LCD Displays. The LF30 Series was designed to serve as a reliable indoor digital signage solution distinguished by high brightness, slim design, fanless design, low power consumption, light weight and a wide range of professional features. The displays are built specifically for digital signage and are ideal for environments such as airports, showrooms, shopping malls, hotels/casinos, financial institutions and hospitals. The LF30 Series features Slot 2.0 architectures which accommodates optional boards, expanding application possibilities. The technology allows users to easily mount and swap optional function boards to suit specific applications. The Slot 2.0 architecture also allows for a variety of input terminals, including DVI-D In/Out and RS-232C In/Out, for connection of up to 100 displays in a daisy chain configuration for greater operating efficiency.
Google chairman Eric Schmidt's claim that half of TV sets in stores next year will have Google TV capability sounds impressive – but how quickly does that mean it will reach everybody? Eric Schmidt, previously Google's chief executive and now chairman, forecast at the Le Web conference in Paris on Wednesday that "by the summer of 2012, the majority of the televisions you see in stores will have Google TV embedded on it". That's because he sees the "smart TV" sector exploding – with companies that make TVs wanting to build in internet connectivity and processing capacity. He didn't specify which companies will be selling sets with that capacity, but Samsung and Sony have already been offering "smart TV" sets for more than a year.
Samsung Electronics Co, the world's top TV brand, said on Thursday its television sales hit a record 5.7 million units in November, helped by strong U.S. sales during the long Thanksgiving weekend. November sales grew 14 percent from the 5 million units sold in October and Samsung is certain to keep its top global title for all of 2011, the South Korean firm said in a statement. During the Black Friday weekend, Americans spent $7.4 billion more in stores than a year ago. A Samsung spokesman said it was confident of meeting its 2011 flat-screen TV sales target of 45 million units. The solid results come as global TV manufacturers are restructuring their businesses and outsourcing production as cutthroat competition and weak demand squeeze margins.
The financially challenged U.S. Postal Service Dec. 5 said it is taking further steps to eliminate first-class, next-day delivery of letters, postcards and related items - such as Blu-ray Disc and DVD mailers - in an effort to save money. Netflix is the Postal Service's largest individual commercial mail client, generating more than $500 million annually in first-class postage revenue. The USPS in September first announced intentions to possibly eliminate more than 250 mail processing centers, stop Saturday delivery and eliminate about 28,000 jobs, among other steps. The USPS, which lost $5.1 billion in its most recent fiscal year, is looking to enact $20 billion in cost savings and return to profitability by 2015.
Amazon is offering consumers up to $5 off on purchases if they compare prices using the online giant's mobile phone application in a store. The promotion goes live Saturday and will serve as a way for Amazon to increase usage of its bar-code-scanning application, while also collecting intelligence on prices in the stores. This holiday season, mobile commerce is surging as more people become comfortable using applications on their phone to compare prices or simply shop when not at home or at work.
American consumers want a wireless Christmas, according to a survey by Cisco's home networking unit. The survey found that 96 percent of those surveyed expected that they themselves, or one of their immediate family, would receive some type of new wireless gift this year. What people expected Santa to bring was wide ranging, with 26 percent expecting a new computer or laptop, 19 percent a game console system, 16 percent a tablet PC and 14 percent a smartphone. When asked what was the most important technology they had in their home, 28 percent said it was their wireless home network. However, 85 percent of those people had no idea what kind of wireless network was in their home, and this could cause a problem, Cisco said, as many of the newer wireless devices require an up-to-date 802.11n home network to properly operate.
The technology industry is absolutely bent on reinventing television. But nobody seems to be able to answer the big question: what exactly is so broken about TV anyway? It's true that the TV guide in most cable systems is pretty awful -- it looks like Yahoo circa 1994. It's a pain fiddling with a bunch of different remotes. It might be kind of nice to watch YouTube videos on a big screen in the living room. But I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that most TV viewers simply won't care enough about any of this stuff to shell out $1,500 for a new Apple TV, or spend a few hundred bucks and countless hours fiddling around adding a new box to their TV set and figuring out how it works. All of these are destined to be niche products at best -- just like every other attempt to improve TV over the last 20 years.
Chinese personal-computer maker Lenovo Group Ltd. on Tuesday said it would soon unveil a "smart TV" product called LeTV as well as a new cloud-computing strategy, as it competes with others to diversify and address growing demand for Internet-connected devices. The company, which surpassed Dell Inc. in the third quarter to become the world's second-largest PC vendor by unit shipments after Hewlett-Packard Co., is the latest to enter the competition to offer Internet content on television. Lenovo didn't provide details on the capabilities of LeTV, but it comes as others have released smart TVs, which are expected to have computer-style features and could allow companies to directly sell movies, TV shows and other content. Search giant Google Inc. is gearing up to challenge the likes of Apple Inc. in the area with its Google TV operating system. Lenovo said the new LeTV will be an Internet-connected product and is expected to launch in the first quarter. In recent weeks, Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. have also announced plans for smart TVs.
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RETRO-M is designed to replace existing Home Intercom Systems and operate on existing 3 and 4 wire systems. BLUETOOTH you music by adding the BT-RECEIVER. No need to remove existing master wall housing, trim plates available to cover those large holes. The RETRO-M intercom unit has a built-in AM/FM radio. Plug in mp3 players such as iPod, iPhone, Zune or any other hand held player into the master and share your music with the entire family. Choose between two music sources; listen to the radio in one room and the mp3 in another room.


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U.S. retail sales increased more than expected in November as the holiday shopping season got off to a brisk start, pointing to sustained strength in the economy. The Commerce Department said on Thursday that retail sales rose 0.8 percent last month. Data for October was revised to show sales...
from FF News: Breaking News
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2020 was a year of unexpected challenges and significant change for the automotive industry. Amid many difficulties posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, demand for electric vehicles increased and CO2 emissions fell further than before. According to data collected by JATO Dynamics in 21 countries across Europe, the volume weighted average CO2 emissions (NEDC) of vehicles registered in 2020 was 106.7 g/km – 12% lower than the average recorded in 2019.
This drop in CO2 emissions can be attributed to tougher government regulations such as the enforcement of WLTP fuel economy rules and a shift in consumer attitudes in favor of electric vehicles. Felipe Munoz, JATO’s global analyst, commented: “Although the industry still needs to do more to meet the European Commission’s’ CO2 targets, manufacturers have demonstrated significant progress with their range and sales in 2020.” Registrations of pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles totaled 1.21 million units last year – 10.6% of the total market. This is an increase from 2019, when volume totaled 466,000 units, accounting for just 3.1% of total registrations.
Push for sustainability heightened by the pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic has supported the growth of EVs across Europe. Focussing on how to bring the automotive market back to full strength, European countries opted to promote a green, sustainable recovery, with some governments creating new purchase incentives within their economic-stimulus packages.
This resulted in many consumers moving away from traditional internal combustion engines (ICE) vehicles during the pandemic, instead purchasing low-emissions alternatives. Volume for ICE vehicles fell from 14.7 million units in 2019, to
8.6 million last year – accounting for 3 in 4 cars registered in Europe. This had an immediate effect on emissions levels. Munoz noted: “In a year when millions of potential buyers were not allowed to leave their homes, it is notable that total average emissions decreased by 15g/km. It signifies a fundamental change to our notion of mobility and a greater appetite for sustainable options.”
With lockdown restrictions imposed across Europe and many governments delivering incentives packages for zero and low emissions cars, OEMs have made changes to their offering and marketing in order to entice consumers towards EV and PHEV vehicles.
6 countries posted emissions averages below 100g/km
Six countries posted average emissions below 100g/km: the Netherlands, Denmark, Portugal, Sweden, France and Finland. This also reflects the ranking for countries with the highest registration of EVs, with Sweden (32%) and the Netherlands (25%) topping the list. Finland, Denmark and Portugal occupied the following positions. On the other side of the spectrum, the opposite trend can be seen in Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland – all of which registered the highest CO2 averages and recorded low levels of EV penetration.
SUVs drive sales while posting highest average reduction in emissions
Despite the turbulent economic backdrop, SUVs were a key driver of growth last year, easing the fall in sales across traditional hatchbacks, sedans, MPVs and wagons. In 2020, the volume of SUV registrations accounted for 40% of all passenger cars, and also posted the best results for average reduction to emissions levels.
According to our data, SUV emissions fell by 16.2g/km between 2019 and 2020 – the biggest decrease among the 5 mega segments analysed (regular cars, MPVs, sport cars, SUVs and vans). This is, in part, due to the improved range of PHEV and BEV midsize, and large SUVs now available to consumers.
Despite these achievements, SUVs continued to produce greater emissions levels than city cars, subcompacts, compacts, midsize, executive and luxury cars. On average, an SUV produces 18% more CO2 than traditional cars, and even the smallest SUVs produce larger average emissions than executive cars. Munoz stated: “More often than not, SUVs tend to be heavier than hatchbacks and sedans, meaning fuel consumption is higher. That said, they are now the next target on the list for electrification and we will undoubtedly see more progress in the coming months”.
So far, the race for electrification has largely been seen across more traditional models. For instance, the Tesla Model 3, Renault Zoe and Volkswagen ID.3 are Europe’s top selling BEVs. There is still great potential within the SUV market and demand is expected to accelerate at an even greater pace when more electrified models are introduced. Munoz added: “After a year of disruption, there are reasons to be positive and manufactures could rapidly offset the decline in sales by focusing on what consumers are looking for at the moment – zero and low emissions SUVs.”
All emission data is taken directly from public sources or, when there was no public source, taken from comparable vehicles. The information includes the registrations weighted NEDC-Correlated emissions without supercredits and phase-in.
CO2 data corresponding to Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom.


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The Dieselgate of the Volkswagen Group has prompted many countries have been made investigate the emission of cars that sell the brands in your soil. One of the most active countries in these investigations is South Korea and they say it to Volkswagen. After the scandal has had to stop selling several of its models for that documentation had been issued for the compliance of the emissions of several of their engines were “fake” and therefore they were forced to stop the sales.
The problem is that not only the Volkswagen Group is being studied by the government of Seoul. As we have been able to find the manufacturer of cars japanese Nissan, the super sports belonging to the Volkswagen Group Porsche and BMW Group would be in the eye of the hurricane. According to the Ministry of Environment of south korea would be thinking of banning sales of certain models of these brands for have falsified the documentation of the emissions.
Porsche would have affected three of its models, Nissan two, and BMW one. You have not specified the authorities of South Korea are the models that are being investigated and that they could no longer be sold in the country until their documentations are up to date. While the ministry is carrying out the relevant research has been communicated to the brands who could be forced to see the sales of these models suspended.
The Ministry of Environment South Korea has sent a press release in which it also indicates that they are thinking of fining the local authorities of origin of the manufacturers. The reason is that in the ministry understand that the deception has been carried out between the brand and the governments from where come the cars affected.
finally, the resolution of this conflict will know before the end of the year and the marks would have a reasonable time to put in order the documentation of their cars.
we’ll see what happens.


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McDonald’s Delivery Service Launches Across Ireland
That diet just got a lot harder..
McDonald’s just made it a whole lot easier to get their famous fast food. You can now get McDonald’s delivered straight to your door!
They’re calling it McDelivery! It’s a partnership with UberEats food delivery service.
The demand for McDelivery has risen in the past few years due to it being launched in London a few years back.
The delivery service will operate 8am – midnight Monday to Friday.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be available on the menu.
Participating McDonald’s Stores
For now, McDelivery is only available in Dublin, Galway and Cork. It’s also only available 2.4km away from each store.
Upper O’Connell Street
Lower O’Connell Street
East Wall Road
Galway West Side
Galway Retail Park
How do I get McDelivery?
Download the UberEats App and order from there.
Boom McDonald’s at your door!


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For the past year, carvers from Bali's woodworking centers in Gianyar have faced an ever increasing shortages of teak wood. Traditionally, teak wood used by Bali's wood carvers originates from Surabaya, Banyuwangi, Sulawesi and Kalimantan.
In the past several years the cost of a cubic meter of teak wood has increased significantly from Rp. 1 million (approximately US$95) to Rp. 1.75 million (approximately US$166). In addition to higher cost of raw materials, woodworkers are also facing increasing uncertainty of supply.
Despite problems of supply and cost of woods, Bali's wood working craftsmen have been reluctant to increase the price of their goods, concerned that higher priced handicraft would fail to sell in the a highly competitive marketplace. Meanwhile, efforts to replace teak with other woods, such as jackfruit wood, have not been enthusiastically accepted by handicraft consumers who still prefer teak products.
According to a report in the Indonesian language newspaper Kompas, in 2003 Gianyar recorded 14,368 woodworking units employing a total 37,150 workers.
Discovery Tours. Articles may be quoted and reproduced
if attributed to http://www.balidiscovery.com.


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Innovation in online shopping technology is about to become more personal and realistic thanks to Go
Google is known for being at the forefront of experimentation and implementation of new One of its latest innovations involves the fusion of artificial intelligence (AI) and online shopping, aiming to offer users a more authentic and personalized experience.
Google’s Vision for Online Retail Shopping:
The idea is simple but revolutionary: using AI to show how clothes look on real people. Instead of having to imagine how a garment might look based on a mannequin or model, customers can now see how the item will fit real human figures.
Google plans to use artificial intelligence technology to generate realistic images of people wearing various items of clothing. This will give users a clearer view of how clothes may actually look on people with different shapes and sizes, making it easier to choose the right clothes.
The Benefits of AI Technology in Online Shopping:
Integrating AI into online shopping functionality offers numerous benefits. For shoppers, it eliminates a lot of uncertainty when choosing clothing online. It can help prevent mistaken purchases and reduce the need for returns, which are costly for both consumers and retailers.
In addition, AI can help improve inclusiveness in the online fashion industry. By showing how clothes look on people of different shapes and sizes, Google can help ensure that everyone feels represented and seen in the online shopping world.
Google’s implementation of AI in online shopping features could really change the rules of the game in the world of e-commerce. This innovation has the potential not only to improve the shopping experience for consumers, but also to contribute to a more inclusive and representative online fashion industry. This is another example of how technology can be used to enhance and personalize our daily experiences. We will be eager to see how this technology develops and integrates further into our lives.


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The Beatles ‘Help!’ is Coming to Blu-Ray – What’s Your Favorite Rock Film?
Help! The Beatles second film and first color movie is coming to Blu-ray. There will not only be a beefed up sound track but more than an hour of bonus material as well. The Help! DVD had been released as a box set and this will be a step up from that.


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When Joseph Kermond flipped his first hamburger patty in a caravan on the Warrnambool foreshore in 1949, he could not have foreseen the special place his creation would come to hold in the community.
Next year, the iconic Kermond’s Hamburgers will celebrate 70 years of operation using the same recipe the company’s founder started out with all those years ago.
The south-west community well and truly backed the burger joint in a recent poll run by The Standard asking who makes the best burgers.
Close to 40 per cent of people who voted – more than 800 – said Kermond’s burgers were the best.
Owner Brett Healey, who started out at the burger shop when he was 15 and has dedicated more than three decades of his life to it, said he was grateful for the support.
He said the recipe for success was simple, with consistency and high quality local ingredients important elements.
“Anyone can make a good hamburger, but to do it 363 days a year for the last 70 years – that’s what sets us apart,” Mr Healey said.
The shop is open every day of the year from 9am to 9pm except for Good Friday and Christmas Day, which Mr Healey said served as a big advantage for Kermond’s.
He said New Year’s Day was usually the busiest of the year, and over the summer period staff make anywhere between 600 to 800 burgers a day.
Mr Healey said his 35 casual staff members did a fantastic job producing great burgers.
Over time, the business has employed many teenagers and trained them up to give them a start in the workforce.
When he initially stepped through the doors at Kermond’s almost 35 years ago, Mr Healey’s first job was to prepare the onions for the burgers and he said that tradition remains.
Mr Healey wants to expand the business to other parts of Victoria prior to its 70th birthday late next year.
He thanked the community for voting for Kermond’s in the poll and said he was pleased other burger businesses had recently opened in Warrnambool.
“I wish all the other joints well,” he said.
“We don’t see it as competition, we see it as enhancing the Warrnambool CBD. The more shops that open and the more choices people have got, the better it is for Warrnambool.”


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Google has confirmed that the Google Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G handsets will arrive sometime by the end of this year.
We have come across many reports indicating what we can expect from the next Pixel smartphone series. Now, the live images of what seems to be the Google Pixel 5s have been leaked.
The leaked photos come from Jose Antonio Ponton, a Mexican radio host. The images reveal that the handset will sport a similar design as the standard Google Pixel 5. The “About” section spotted in the pictures indicate the moniker Pixel 5s.
The smartphone should arrive as a toned-down version of the upcoming Google Pixel 5 meant for select markets. Here is what you need to know.
Google Pixel 5s Leaked Images Details
According to the leaked photos alleged to be those of the Google Pixel 5s, we can spot a punch-hole cutout at the front panel to house the selfie camera sensor. It also appears to flaunt some narrow bezels surrounding the display. At the rear panel, there is a square camera setup with dual camera sensors and an LED flash. Google has chosen this time a wide-angle lens instead of a telephoto lens.
Google Pixel 5s seems to sport a physical fingerprint sensor underneath the camera setup and the well-known Google logo. At the rear panel, the smartphone has a textured finish, and there seems to be a power button and volume rocker. The leaked images have several regulatory stickers at the rear as it is a testing unit only and not the final product.
What We Should Expect
A recent report claims that the Google Pixel 5s would be launched alongside the Google Pixel 5. So far, it seems that there will be five Google Pixel 5 models with both mmWave and Sub-6GHz support. More details should be available soon.
As our second lead editor, Suzanne Fisher provides guidance on the stories Tech Life reporters cover. She has been instrumental in making sure the content on the site is clear and accurate for our readers. If you see a particularly clever title, you can likely thank Suzanne. Suzanne received a BA and MA from Fordham University.


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Whistl has appointed a new operations director, who becomes the third woman on the parcel carrier’s executive board. Fabiola Sharratt joins the mail operator from online health and beauty retailer The HUT, where she was group operations director. Sharratt has held other roles in the logistics sector including jobs with the GUS Group and the Caudwell Group. During her time at The HUT, Sharratt also designed the business’s employee engagement strategy, improving its communications and business performance. Whistl CEO Nick […]
Whistl has completed its management buyout deal (MBO) from former parent company Post NL.
An inquiry into competition in the UK postal sector has been launched, after calls from Royal Mail to protect it from last mile delivery competition earlier this year.
Whistl believes its ability to offer customers a one-stop shop from mail through to parcels and fulfilment services will ensure its future success as the mail market stagnates.


text: Salmonella outbreaks have been hitting Canada hard the past year, and just when we thought we might have been in the clear, yet another brand of chicken strips have been recalled across the nation. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has recalled Compliments brand chicken strips across the nation as they investigate another case of a salmonella outbreak. They are asking anyone who has purchased the product to dispose of it immediately and to not eat it.\nThe Canadian Food Inspection Agency states that the Compliments uncooked chicken strips have been sold up until May 1, but it is still possible that many Canadians have this product in their freezer. To check to see if your chicken strips are part of the recall the outer package will have the code 2019 NO 24, while the inner package will have the code 3288M.\nAnyone who has the product in their freezer should either discard of the product or return it to the store in which it was purchased. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency warns that even if the product does not look, smell or taste bad it can still contain salmonella.\nView this post on Instagram Our delicious selection of Mini Platters are perfect for sharing. 😄 Grab your mates, get to The Getty, and get your grub on before taking on #KaraokeFriday! 🍻🎶 A post shared by The Getty @ Northriding Square (@thegettynorthriding) on May 24, 2019 at 6:01am PDT\nThis recall is one of the hundreds that have taken place in the past two years. According to the Government of Canada, since May 2017 573 laboratory-confirmed cases of Salmonella illness have been investigated with 213 of those cases being in Ontario alone.\nPublic Health has confirmed that out of those who have been affected by these salmonella outbreaks, 92 Canadians were hospitalized and three deaths have been recorded in connection to these outbreaks.\nView this post on Instagram Sorry fam, it’s been a few days since my last post. Been fighting off a nasty stomach bug. It’s been a sad few days of drinking only tea and eating oatmeal. Rest assured, when i’m back at it, you already know what my comeback meal is gonna be! • • • • • • #chicken #chickenstrips #chickenstripsandfries #fries #food #foodporn #foodie #instagood #foodphotography #sauce #sick #mansnothot #comeback A post shared by Chicken Strips (@stripsandfries) on May 21, 2019 at 2:59pm PDT\nThe Government of Canada warns that anyone can become sick with a Salmonella infection. Most people who do fall ill will recover within a few days but can spread the infection to others.\nThose who fall ill to salmonella usually start to feel sick anywhere from 6 to 72 hours after exposure. Some symptoms of salmonella include fever, chills, abdominal cramps, headache, nausea, and vomiting.\nThese symptoms usually clear up within a week, but in some cases, it can lead to severe illness and hospitalization may occur. People who are experiencing symptoms should go and visit their local health care provider.


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- September 27, 2016
- September 22, 2016
- September 8, 2016
Apartment owners and managers take note: Approximately 58 percent of the carpet manufactured in the United States is nylon, which is more durable than polyester. However, it’s not as stain resistant. Consequently, carpet manufacturers are scrambling to develop new stainproofing treatments, technologies and fibers.
Mohawk Industries’ SmartStrand carpet uses a material known as Triexta, a plant-based polymer that has built-in stain protection. Developed by DuPont and exclusively marketed by Mohawk, the fiber is approaching $1 billion in sales.
For more, download the full article.
Learn about the perks and benefits of working in residential property management and some of the reasons the industry provides career growth, stability and endless opportunities.